


Through Everything Imaginable

by hibiren



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Bad Puns, Blood, Blow Jobs, Cigarettes, Coffee, Day At The Beach, Day Off, Desperation, Developing Relationship, Dirty Talk, Drinking, Ficlet, Ficlet Collection, Fluff and Humor, Holding Hands, Humor, Injury, Late at Night, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Morning Cuddles, Nipple Piercings, One Shot Collection, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Pool & Billiards, Prompt Fill, Roommates, Rough Kissing, Semi-Public Sex, Sharing a Bed, Skinny Dipping, Smoking, Sunsets, Training, Turkstober, Turkstober 2020, Vacation, Virtual Reality, one shots, partners
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:15:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26761960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: [TURKSTOBER 2020 FICLET COLLECTION!]A list of ficlets (maybe more~) as prompt fills for the casual "Turkstober 2020" prompt list I'm running over on Twitter! I plan to post one chapter per day unless the prompts end up overlapping, or I run out of steam (lol) but I hope to get a little something down every day!
Relationships: Reno/Rude (Compilation of FFVII)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 54
Collections: Turkstober 2020





	1. Day One: Partners

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to join me in Turkstober2020, we have a collection [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Turkstober2020) to put your prompt fills in! The general rules for the prompt list can also be found on my twitter [here](https://twitter.com/duskynebula/status/1310401004807106562)! This is my first time running a prompt-list event but I'm really amazed at the awesome content I've seen so far, and it's only the first day!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rude thinks back to when he and Reno first moved in together, and how much things have changed since then.

Reno can fall asleep literally anywhere - he’s so much like a cat, it’s scary. Rude will be wandering around their place, straightening up while he’s trying to look for something, and Reno will just curl up on the couch and take a nap. He tried to joke with Reno that he must’ve been a cat in a past life, and Reno looked like he’d been about to say something angry, before closing his mouth and muttering, “...yeah, no, yeah, guess I can see why.”

It reminds Rude of a night years ago, feels like a whole eternity ago, when they’d first moved in together. Reno clearly wasn’t used to having company in his space, and constantly groaned and grumbled about Rude just… being there, always. After work? Still there. Wake up in the morning, he’d still be there. Work started to trail him more than usual. _You’re in my space, yo, can you back the fuck up??_ Reno would hiss, baring his metaphorical fangs.

Until one night. Rude remembers sitting on the couch, only half-paying attention to the TV when Reno had sauntered in, slowly, like he was intentionally keeping distance. Reno’s hair was a disheveled mess; he looked like he just rolled out of bed after having a terrible nightmare as he plopped down in the chair across from the couch and just _stared_ at him, his gaze flickering between Rude’s and his hands, and it suddenly strikes Rude as the exact same thing he’d see when feeding the feral cats that wandered the streets around where he used to live. It’s that same look, the look that says,

_I want to trust you… but can I? Should I? Or will you hurt me too?_

“Hey. Scoot over,” Reno had said suddenly, out of nowhere, huffing as he moved from his perch on the chair to seat himself on the couch next to Rude and sit awkwardly cross-legged on the cushion. He wasn’t uncomfortably close, then, but with the way Reno had been looking at him, Rude just knew it was his silent way of asking for trust.

“You want the remote?” Rude asked, once Reno had made himself comfy.

“Nah. Nothin’ good’s on this late anyway. I’m fine with whatever, it’s all garbage to me.”

“Ouch, that’s rough. You should’ve been a film critic, huh, partner?”

_Partner._

That one, simple word had been the first step in changing Reno’s mind about suddenly having a permanent roommate, and surprisingly, it helped get him to open up just a little more. Even though Reno had insisted he wasn’t one for nicknames, and that he’d _really_ hated them.

Every time Reno would complain, Rude would counter: “But it’s not a nickname, it’s a title.”

“Yeah, that’s bullshit, but… fine. It’s… it’s cool. I’ll let you slide on this technicality… Partner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this idea sitting in my drafts for a while and I really wanted to finish it, I found the perfect motivation to! ; u ; I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into how I imagine they first got along when they moved in together~


	2. Day Two: Wounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rude gets wounded during a mission, and Reno keeps him company until their backup arrives.

“Shit, _shit,”_ Reno hisses as he shakes Rude’s uninjured shoulder harder than he should have, feels acid burning his throat and the back of his mouth as Rude’s eyelids flutter behind the cracked lenses of his sunglasses. “Stay with me. Stay _with_ me, partner, c’mon. _C’mon.”_

“…hurts…” is all the man can manage, but it’s good enough for Reno, as he shoves his hands deep into his pockets, searching for something - anything - he could use. All he had on him was his cellphone, even though it was slightly damaged. Damaged or not, it would have to do. With Rude’s injured shoulder, and the terrifying amount of blood that soaks not only his shirt but the ground around him, and Reno’s gloved hands… 

“I’m callin’ for backup,” Reno mutters, sitting against the wall and very, very carefully, angling Rude’s bruised head into his lap. Trying not to think about the way Rude’s blood smears across his skin when Reno gently moves him. “Hey. You still with me?”

All he gets in answer is a groan; a weak, half-gurgle of a sound that’s only made worse by the slow trickle of blood that slips free from the corner of his split lips. Not good, not good… Reno presses the emergency signal on his phone and waits, setting the phone aside to watch as the screen occasionally flashes red to let him know the signal had been received.

“C’mon. Stay with me, man; breathe,” Reno urges softly, running his thumbs along Rude’s cheeks in what he hopes is a soothing gesture. “You’re gonna… you’re gonna make it. This is nothin’, yeah? You’ve been through way worse. Remember that time you saved my ass from a bunch of punks in the slums, back when we first met?”

Rude manages a faint, breathy wheeze. “Yeah, I remember. You looked… so scared, back then. And I - ” he cut off to wince, and Reno catches hold of Rude’s hand before he could raise it to grip his shoulder. He watches helplessly as Rude clenches his teeth together to hold back a pained groan, and just gives his partner’s wrist a squeeze.

“Hey! _Don’t_ touch it,” Reno scolds, even as his voice breaks, “don’t.” Quieter, weaker, he adds, “…please.”

Rude lets out a slow breath through his teeth and for a moment, his eyes squeeze shut. Reno knows it hurts. He knows it has to hurt really, really fucking bad. There’s too much blood for him to even _think_ about just saying _‘it’s nothing.’_ Without anything to offer for help, Reno’s just left staring down at him, fighting off the helpless look on his face by focusing instead on trying to keep Rude from poking at his shoulder, which would no doubt further worsen his already-severe injury.

After a long minute of forcing himself to focus, Rude mutters, “I’m not gonna die, Reno, relax.”

“I _know_ you’re _not,”_ Reno counters, immediately finding a convenient excuse to glance at his phone’s flashing red screen again. It’s distracting enough. He can’t think about that, there’s been way too many close calls lately. “Now shut up. I want you to still be awake when the backup gets here. Got it?”

“Got it.”

Rude rolls his eyes, but complies anyway, slowly relaxing his arm in Reno’s grip, like he’s no longer thinking about or interested in poking his injured shoulder. Good.  
  
“Just… here.”

Reno maneuvers Rude’s good arm carefully so that he can wrap his fingers into his partner’s. The moment their hands touch, Rude’s hand is immediately tight in his, the grip surprisingly strong for someone who looks like they're on the brink of passing out.

“Hey, easy, easy. I’m not goin’ anywhere, I promise. I’m stayin’ right here with you. _Someone’s_ gotta make sure you’re not gonna do something stupid.”

“That’s… that’s my line,” Rude whispers with a smile, even as the laugh at his lips quickly turns into a faint cough instead.

“I said shut up, asshole.” This, Reno says softly, and gives Rude’s hand a squeeze. Rude squeezes back. “Even if you’re right.”


	3. Day Three: Smoke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rude and Reno share cigarettes together for the first time, after a bad day at work.

The sun lingers on the horizon by the time Reno finds his partner on the roof of their apartment complex. Rude has one arm braced on the railing, he’s leaned forward and staring off at the sunset like he’s dreaming of jumping into it, if given the chance. Even though his back is facing Reno, Rude lets out a soft, “hey, partner,” when Reno steps up next to him and makes a point to mirror his stance against the railing. Even though Rude’s body language is clearly an attempt at appearing relaxed, Reno knows just by the lingering rigidity in his posture, and the slight bouncing in his leg, that Rude is the exact opposite of _relaxed_ right now.

Rude lets out a breath, and a wisp of smoke escapes with it. Reno raises an eyebrow as he glances down and sees the cigarette in Rude’s gloved hand.

“You smoke?”

“That a problem?” Rude counters, as he holds the cigarette up to his lips and inhales slowly. His gaze only flickers over to Reno for a moment as he does this, and Reno frowns.

“Who _doesn’t_ smoke these days,” Reno huffs, elbowing Rude’s arm. “Gimme one.”

Rude stays silent as he pulls the pack from his pocket and holds it out to Reno. The redhead almost laughs when he sees the ridiculous, poorly-drawn cartoon chocobo on the front of the box. “You smoke _these?_ This brand is _shit,_ yo.”

“Brand doesn’t matter, it does what it needs to do.” Rude scowls and forces out his next breath, sending a steady stream of smoke into the cool evening air.

“You mean taste like shit?” Reno fires back, flicking his hair out of his eyes in that all-too-familiar way he does when he’s irritated.

“It’s all I’ve got on me. You want it or not?”

Reno shuts up and plucks the box from his partner’s outstretched hand.

“Yeah, yeah, fine; I’ll take your shit,” Reno grumbles, fishing around in his own pocket for his lighter and balancing a cigarette against his lips while he clicks the lighter to life. Rude doesn’t seem the slightest bit surprised that his partner carries a lighter on him, although he does raise an eyebrow at the design of it - bright red, of course, it’s got to be in Reno’s favorite color - with blue and purple flames and matching lightning bolts trailing up the side of it. It’s _terribly_ tacky, and Rude chuckles.

“What? You’ve seen me smoke before. This ain’t news.”

“No, but that lighter is. Make fun of me for _my_ brand, I see that tacky-ass lighter.”

“Shut up, it was free,” Reno hisses, and shoves the lighter back into his pocket. He kicks his work boot against the railing and it rattles, the metallic jingle reverberating satisfyingly against the empty concrete space of the rooftop.

Silence falls between them, and it should have been uncomfortable - but they just don’t have the energy to bicker with each other anymore and the sparks of bitterness in the air quickly dissipate, fading away alongside the matching trails of smoke from their lips.

“You know,” says Reno thoughtfully, as he leans his head on the side of his partner’s arm in a gesture of silent apology, “I’ll get you some of mine, sometime. I guarantee it’ll make you regret ever buying this shitty brand. I splurged on a pack of the good stuff a while back. I don’t share with just _anybody,_ y’know. I might have crap taste when it comes to just about everything, but not with cigarettes.”

“And top shelf booze,” Rude adds, a witty smirk at his lips, “But only when someone else’s buying.”

“Hey, that was _one time,_ and I paid you back.”


	4. Day Four: "Who hurt you?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reno comes home with a busted lip, black eye, and bloody nose, and Rude demands to know who hurt him.

“Who hurt you?” Rude asks, when Reno comes home that night a little later than planned. He’d gone out around the corner to pick up more beer, but came back empty-handed instead, with the addition of a busted lip, swollen black eye, and a hand to his nose - although it did little to actually stop the blood from trickling down his palm and onto the floor. _“Who_ did this to you, Reno?”

“Doesn’t… doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter. It’s fine,” Reno says, stubbornly, and shoves his way past Rude to step into their bathroom, pulling his hand away from his nose and swearing loudly when a fresh stream of dark red spills free and he has to lean over the sink to keep it from getting everywhere. “I swear, I’m good. It’s all good. It’s _fine.”_

Rude scowls after touching his fingers to his own nose, suddenly remembering he’s not wearing his sunglasses. “Reno, don’t lie to me.”

“Not lyin’! Everything’s fine. Just - ugh, shit, can you pass me a towel or somethin’?” Reno’s complaint is cut off as he leans down closer to the drain and blindly reaches for the tap to wash the staining crimson off of the sink’s faded-white bowl. Rude passes him a rag from the clean stack in the cabinet next to the door, and Reno swears again when he wets the rag and starts scrubbing frantically at the bowl. He’s completely caught in it, ignoring the blood that’s still pouring out of his nose as he roughly scrapes the rag against the sides of the sink, trying fruitlessly to clean the blood off. “You think I can’t take a hit or two? Huh?” Reno hisses, although he coughs and spits out a thick glob of blood and that gets him to stop talking… for a moment. “Fuck this, I give up.”

“Reno…”

“Don’t _Reno_ me, I said I’m fine… okay? Get out. I’m gonna shower.”

Rude just nods and quietly steps out of the bathroom. While he waits, Rude heads back into the bedroom, picks up the book off of the side table and sits down in the bed to read. He manages to zone out for a while, until he hears a loud _thunk_ followed by a muffled curse.

“You okay?”

There’s no response, not one that Rude can hear. He sets the book aside and slips out from beneath the covers, stepping slowly down the hall to knock on the bathroom door.

“Reno?”

The water’s still running, Rude can hear the soft hum of it through the door. He doesn’t hear any moving, and tries the doorknob. It’s unlocked, and he slowly pushes the door open.

“Partner,” Rude calls again, a little louder, as he sticks his head into the steam-filled bathroom. The shower curtain had been ripped off of its rings, and Reno holds a torn handful of the fabric in his hands. Blood was still streaming down his nose, just as stubborn as the redhead himself.

“I’m fine,” Reno retorts, but the wince that follows his statement isn’t convincing in the slightest. “Just slipped.”

“Slipped, huh?”

 _“Hey,”_ snaps Reno, pressing his hand to his nose and just giving up, letting go of the torn curtain and leaning his head against the shower wall. The water just falls like steady rain down his curled-up, bruised body. “Knock it off. Just… just…”

“You want a towel?” Rude guesses, and Reno half-shrugs in answer. Good enough.

“I wanna get out of here.”

It’s slightly cryptic, but Rude knows there’s more to that statement than Reno lets on. At first it just sounds like he wants to get out of the bathroom, but in reality he likely means getting out of the apartment, the city; there’s too many possibilities… each of them leading down a different, dangerous path when the inevitable question of _what happened?_ comes up again.

“Let’s get you patched up first.”

“Sure, whatever. Just make it quick, ‘cause I gotta scrub the sink again. I ain’t payin’ a cleaner to come in and do it for me if the landlady thinks I fucked up the pipes again.”

Rude chuckles. “It wasn’t _that_ much blood.”

“Yeah? You tell that to her. I’m still cleanin’ the damn sink. Looks like a fuckin’ crime scene in here.”

Rude adds, “You get the sink, I’ll fix the shower curtain. I think we’ve got a spare box of rings in the kitchen…”

Reno spares a glance to the torn fabric and winces. “Let’s just go buy a new one. I’ll pay, long as I get to pick the replacement - I always hated this one anyway. ‘Least that way we can get out of here for a bit. Go for a drive. ‘S good enough for me.”

“Me too.” Rude smiles and holds out his hand, glad to have Reno back to mostly-normal. Reno takes the offered hand and Rude gently pulls him to his feet, wrapping a hand around his waist. He suddenly doesn’t care that Reno’s wet skin is soaking his clothes; the redhead is surprisingly warm and he fits into Rude’s arms a little too perfectly. Rude wants to kiss him… but he thinks twice about it. Because of Reno’s split lip, Rude convinces himself, not because of his inability to find the words to tell his partner exactly how he feels. That would have to wait for another day. When Reno’s bright cerulean eyes wouldn’t shock him into wordlessness every time he wants to break down and confess. If that day ever came.


	5. Day Five: "No one has to know."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reno and Rude get "distracted" on their way to a late work meeting, but no one has to know what took them so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT -- I hope you like pwp semi-public 'oops I just can't keep my mouth off you even though it's gonna make us late to a meeting we were already way late to' blowjobs ;3 this time though instead of a first-time/pre-relationship scenario it's established that they're dating for this oneshot!

Reno’s teeth are at Rude’s neck the second they step into the parking garage stairwell, and the sound of Rude’s back hitting the wall echoes loudly against the floors above and below them, a resounding _thud_ certainly loud enough to attract unwanted attention; but neither of them really care at that point. Rude’s hands immediately seek out his partner’s hair and give it a sharp tug, which earns him a swift bite on a particularly sensitive part of his neck.

 _“Hey, watch the teeth,”_ Rude growls, fighting back Reno’s hungry nipping even though he just wants nothing more than to let Reno keep going until his skin is covered in perfectly painful little red bruises, all in the shape of his partner’s sharp teeth. “We… we’re gonna be late.”

“The meeting can wait, I got a problem _now,”_ Reno growls, trailing quick little bites along Rude’s jawline until he reaches his partner’s ear to take one of the piercings into his mouth, tugging on it until Rude’s moaning reverberates through the stairwell. If they're not careful, they’ll get caught; but that just adds to the building heat between them both, kindling and intensifying as they grind against each other. Reno wants _more_ but Rude closes his fist in Reno’s hair again, yanks it hard, knowing that if he doesn’t find _something_ to hold on to, he’s not going to last through Reno’s teasing. Reno’s good at what he does, and he knows it. The fact that they’re cutting it too close to being late lingers in the back of Rude’s mind, but the thought disappears the moment the redhead wraps his arms around Rude’s waist and guides their hips together. And it feels _fantastic._

Reno shudders and moans right in Rude’s ear, savoring the way the man trembles in response; Rude’s breath stutters out of him as he whispers his partner’s name in helpless warning.

 _“Reno,_ if… if you…”

“If I what?” Reno hums softly, hooking his fingers into his partner’s tie so he can slip it loose, works the top two buttons of his dark work shirt open; and he’s on to the third, then the fourth… “How ‘bout we have a little fun? No one has to know.”

Reno’s sharp-nailed fingers delicately dance down Rude’s exposed chest, and Rude braces his free arm against the wall to try to steady himself as his hips move without his consent when Reno’s hand finally rests over his belt.

“You… you better… not make a mess,” Rude warns, and Reno chuckles. He completely forgets they have somewhere else to be. Somewhere above them, the distant beeping of a car alarm filters through but neither of them pay enough attention to question it.

“Don’t worry, partner, I know what I’m doin’. Just _relax._ Enjoy it.”

Rude feels like he’s going to pass out from the rush of pleasure that races through him when Reno _finally_ works his belt loose and gives his cock a hard squeeze, easing up into a slow stroking motion when Rude fights back a swear-laced groan. He can’t watch anymore, it’s too much. And even though Rude’s eyes are closed he can feel every single movement his partner makes, and struggles to remember every second. He doesn’t want to forget a single moment of this. Even if he isn’t watching, he can picture what Reno’s doing to him, the faces he’s making…

The instant Reno’s tongue touches the tip of his cock, Rude feels his legs giving out. Reno, of course, acts like he’s been expecting this and leans close against Rude’s legs, offering him something to brace against.

“Re… Reno, _Reno,_ we… we have to… the… the _meeting…_ we can’t… we _can’t…”_

Reno hushes him, and plants a kiss against his thigh. “Don’t think about anything but this; it's just us, right here, right now. Yeah?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Good,” hums Reno, and Rude knows not to open his eyes. He can feel Reno’s mouth close, so close to his dick and he knows if he decides to watch right now, he’s just going to lose control. This is all Reno’s fault; the moment they walk in late, he’s going to immediately let Reno take the blame for it. He’s always ready, with some kind of excuse. In a twisted sort of way, he looks forward to Reno’s explanation for the “presents” he’s left on Rude’s neck…

But he forgets all of that when Reno’s hot, wet tongue slides slowly down the underside of his cock and sparks an intense heat coursing through his entire body. All Rude can do is let out a soft curse. One of Reno’s hands reaches up to give the hand still in his hair a squeeze, and Rude reaches down to give his ponytail a tug instead. Reno moans around his cock and _holy shit,_ it’s the hottest thing he’s ever heard, ever _felt._ Reno’s _mouth,_ on his cock, Reno’s _tongue_ … it’s all overwhelming. Dangerous. _Amazing._

Reno wastes no time taking his partner deeper, humming as his tongue swipes along Rude’s length expertly, perfectly, like he’s made for it. The hand in Reno’s hair tugs suddenly, pulling him closer. Rude opens his mouth to apologize, but Reno doesn’t gag, doesn’t choke; he understands the movement as Rude’s way of silently begging for more, and gives him exactly what he wants.

And suddenly Rude can’t stop himself, he _needs_ to see this. It takes effort, but he slowly opens his eyes and stares for a long second at the closed stairwell door in front of them, the peeling paint along the surface, following the trail of it downward until he sees those soft, bright-red spikes, moving in time with Reno’s head as he sinks his mouth deeper on Rude’s cock, and runs his hands along Rude’s thighs, scratching, squeezing; but the moment their eyes meet, Reno stops. Inhales slowly through his nose, and swallows Rude as deep as he can go, and stays there. There’s a playful glimmer of, _watch this,_ in Reno’s eyes as he lets out the faintest, muffled moan around his partner’s cock, and that simple sound is more than enough to send him over the edge. It’s too much.

 _“Reno, fuck,”_ Rude can barely speak; his partner’s name is the only thing that can leave his lips, over and over again like a broken record, breathy and on the verge of pain as the heat in his body, in his cock, becomes almost unbearable… The words rush out as he clings to the last bit of coherency left in his brain, begging, “Hold… w-wait! H-Hold… hold on, I… I don’t… I’m gonna…!”

Reno hooks his arms around the backs of his partner’s thighs and gives them a quick squeeze as if to say, _go ahead,_ and starts to move his mouth again - it catches Rude off guard but he holds onto Reno’s head with both hands, letting out a breathless apology as he thrusts into Reno’s waiting mouth, spilling everything down his partner’s throat and he somehow manages to swallow every drop. When Rude’s moans dissolve into garbled, exhausted groans, Reno finally, _slowly_ pulls his mouth free and smiles up at Rude, tonguing away a stray drop of cum from his lips before smugly proclaiming,

“See? Told ya. Didn’t make a mess.” Reno chuckles, helping Rude slide his back down the wall until he’s collapsed next to his partner on the dirty stairwell floor trying to catch his breath. He pulls his phone out from his pocket and winces before adding, “Ouch. Don’t ask me what time it is. And _definitely_ don’t ask me how many missed calls I’ve got. You don’t wanna know.”

“Don’t wanna know, don’t really care,” Rude mutters, shrugging, as he pulls Reno against his chest and holds him, not even bothering to zip his pants back up. Everything they just did is still processing in his brain and he’s a good while behind himself. It’s far from the first time Reno’s put his mouth on him, and it’s definitely not the first time said mouth has gotten them both into trouble, but it seems every now and then they find new ways to surprise each other as their relationship continues. “Got more important things to think about right now.”

“Like me?” Reno grins, tapping a finger against his partner’s bruised neck.

“No, the _other_ redhead that just sucked my dick in the parking garage,” says Rude, smirking, and Reno just nudges him in the chest with his elbow. “Five minutes, then we gotta go.”

“Five minutes is more than enough for me. By the way… you’ll owe me one later.”

“Fair… fair enough.”


	6. Day Six: Reckless Behavior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reno's reckless behavior puts him and his partner in danger during a "mission" in the Virtual Reality System.

Several alarms flash and ring in Rude’s ears even through the roar of the helicopter’s rotors; the sound of it is utterly jarring down to his bones as the helicopter stutters, and Reno’s barely audible  _ uh-oh _ into the headset only confirms his fear. Turning dials, flipping switches, yelling at Reno - nothing helps, and suddenly, they’re falling. Rude immediately reaches out, grabs hold of his partner’s arm and holds it in a death grip as the ground gets closer, closer…

Rude throws his headset off before anything else goes wrong, even though it already feels like all the air has been punched out of his lungs. Reno’s laying beside him, unmoving. The inside of his headset repeatedly flashes an unreadable error message. Carefully, he leans over and shakes Reno’s shoulder.

“Hey. Get up.”

Reno groans, sits up on his elbows, and tosses the headset aside until it hits the wall with a clattering  _ thunk. _ “Ugh, man! I had us  _ covered, _ what were you doing?!”

“What was  _ I _ doing?! What were  _ you _ doing!?” snaps Rude, even as he forces his bruised body closer and inspects his partner’s body for visible damages. Leave it to ShinRa to have the most expansive, realistic Virtual Reality tech… when things go wrong in the simulator, it sure as hell feels like it really happened, once they exit the training program and return back to reality. “You tryin’ to kill us?”

“No,” Reno quips back as he pulls his goggles back from around his neck, to their usual place on his forehead. “I was bein’ realistic! You know no one’s gonna take it easy on us ‘cause we’re flyin’. We’re a big fuckin’ target in the sky for fucks’ sake! We gotta make  _ sure  _ we don’t go down, no matter how bad things get.”

The inside wall of the simulation room flashes when Rude raises his hand and taps the nearest tile. His heart nearly stops. The difficulty rank had been turned,  _ and locked, _ to the highest setting.

He glares back at Reno, who only shrugs.

“It’s realistic, ain’t it?”

_ “Reno, dammit!” _

Rude growls his partner’s name before grabbing him by the shoulder, slamming him into the wall so hard the setting panel behind them shimmers and fizzles out for a brief moment. Reno flashes him a sarcastic, know-it-all grin, and Rude raises his fist - more than ready to punch… but he stops. He just can’t. Slowly, he lowers his arm and just rubs his bruised hands together, no longer able to meet his partner’s questioning eyes.

“Next… next time, would you at least  _ tell  _ me?” Rude mutters, and pulls his sunglasses out from his suit pocket, immediately placing them on his face. Only then does he turn and look at his partner. “Unlike you, I don’t have a deathwish 24/7.”

“Hey, we gotta do what we gotta do, and we’re still here, aren’t we?” Reno shrugs, and winces as he stands up. Despite everything, he still offers Rude his hand. “C’mon. I’m hungry. Let’s go get somethin’ to eat. I’m buyin’?”

“Fine,” grumbles Rude, begrudgingly taking his partner’s hand and letting Reno pull him to his feet. “If you broke this computer for good, I’m not paying to replace it. That’s all on you.”

“Hey, well, y’know? It was like that when I got here to set things up. Whoever was in here trainin’ before us must’ve  _ really _ had a deathwish. But hey, we all handle shit differently. Who knows, man. Who knows.”


	7. Day Seven: Overtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a late night at work, Reno steps out to get them both some coffee (and make terrible jokes at his partner's expense).

There’s way too much to do, and not enough time. When that happens, of course, that means overtime to try to catch up. Tseng had finished his share of paperwork fairly early into their after-hours session, and quickly left with not much more than a nod and “I’ll see you tomorrow.” _Lucky,_ Reno had muttered under his breath as soon as the door closed behind him.

Reno and Rude keep working diligently; neither of them really wanted to be there past their shifts, but they don’t have much of a choice. They never do. That’s one of the many unwritten parts of a Turks’ job description. Staying late, downing as much coffee as humanly possible, and cramming to make sure deadlines are met.

When Reno’s wrist starts to twinge painfully with all the writing he’s been doing, he rolls his chair back and picks up his coffee cup with his other hand. When Rude looks at him, Reno picks up Rude’s empty cup and says, “Hey. I’m gonna go get us some more coffee. My hand needs a break.”

Even though Rude still has his sunglasses on (“helps with the bright light in here,” Rude would always say) Reno swears he can see the dark circles forming behind the lenses. He just offers a grunt and a shrug before turning back to the desk, resting his chin on his hand and tapping his pen against the clipboard in front of him.

“C’mon, partner, we’re almost done. After this, we’ll be able to go home and get some _real_ fuckin’ sleep. I’ll be back in a sec,” Reno says softly, tapping the back of Rude’s shoulder with the bottom edge of his empty cup. “See ya, Rude. I’m gonna go see if I can bother someone downstairs for some espresso or somethin’. Looks like you’re gonna need at least three shots to make it through the rest of the night.”

“Better make it five,” Rude corrects, and Reno winces.

“You _do_ still wanna sleep tonight, yeah?”

“Not before I get this done. You better go, I feel like I’m gonna pass out if I have to wait much longer.” Even though his tone is serious, there’s just a little hint of a smile on his face, and in his tired gaze. “And tell them to go light on the sugar, I got too much last time.”

“Yeah, yeah. I hear ya, I’m leavin’, I’ll get your coffee. Let’s hope they’re still open this late…”

With that, Reno disappears down the hall and wanders through the building until he finds exactly what he’s looking for. Luckily for him, the little employee cafe downstairs is still open, even though they’re moving things around like they’re just about to close. After checking in, he gets himself a fresh coffee (black, he’s too impatient and drained to wait for them to add anything to it) and orders a latte with five shots of espresso and two sugars for Rude.

 _He’s never gonna sleep again,_ Reno thinks to himself as he bounces on his feet while he waits, hoping it’ll help him wake up. The strong smell of brewed coffee from behind the counter helps marginally, and when the barista passes their drinks over the counter he thanks them with a wide smile and passes them a couple of folded gil notes for their tip jar since it’s out of his reach.

“Thanks for dealin’ with me so late. We owe ya!” Reno calls, as he scoops up both cups in his hands and makes a quick turn back to head toward the elevators.

Opening the door proves a bit difficult, but Reno announces, “I got your coffee, yo!” as he steps back into the room. “Uh… partner?”

Rude’s slumped over the table, and he’s surrounded by a scatter of pens and pencils and the knocked-over cup that they’d been held in is next to his head, still on its side. The sound of gentle snoring filters up from the table, and Reno just sighs.

“Man, I go down for coffee for like, five minutes; I come back and you really _did_ pass out on me. Up, c’mon, partner, I got you a latte.”

“Mm… hm…?”

“Yo, coffee’s here,” Reno tries again, and when Rude slowly sits up from his hunched-over position against the table and readjusts his glasses back into place, he just blinks down at the cup that Reno sets next to his hand and stares for an uncomfortably long time at it, like he’s still trying to wake up.

“Hey. Hey Rude,” Reno says, plopping down in the chair next to his as he takes a sip from his own cup. By his tone, Rude should know what’s coming next, but he still looks too tired to process words. His joke’s about to be lost to his half-asleep partner, but he says it anyway.

“You know… you know, there’s… there’s a _latte_ espresso in here, it might be too much for ya.”

“Oh, fuck _off,”_ Rude finally grumbles, and aims a lazy swat at Reno’s arm, “I _hate_ puns.”

“You love ‘em, you know you do. You love ‘em… a whole _latte,_ yeah?”

 _“Goddammit…_ Reno, I hate you. And you can’t use the same bit twice, it ruins the joke.”

But there’s a smile on Rude’s face nonetheless as he pulls his cup close and takes a sip. He seems pleased with it, because he takes another, longer drink before setting it down again.

“C’mon, let’s get this done,” Rude says, and his voice is stronger - sufficiently fueled by the extra caffeine.

“You said it. We got this. Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *inspired by actual conversations I've had with Alec, he hates it when I make food puns LOLOL*
> 
> ~love the puns, Alec, love the puns~


	8. Day Eight: Day Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reno & Rude enjoy sleeping in, on a rare day off.

Rude is the first to wake up; he usually is. He’s also usually awake five minutes before the alarm actually goes off, which has its advantages when living in a world where “time is money” really means it.

Because Rude wakes up first, he can enjoy the welcome quiet - the quiet before Reno wakes up. They’d fallen asleep tangled together, and probably would have had celebratory “holy shit we’ve got a day off” sex if they both weren’t so utterly exhausted from their last near all-nighter shift.

A day off.

Rude almost didn’t know what to do with himself. What _would_ they do today? They never got that far in their conversation last night because they’d been far too occupied biting each others’ lips to care.

Still half-asleep, Reno fumbles around the table on his side of the bed for his phone to check the time. He lets out a pleased _hmph_ and rolls back over to face his partner, trying to blink the sleep from his eyes. And then it registers that they’re both almost naked, and Reno’s yawning mouth quickly closes into a small smile.

“Hey, mornin’, partner,” Reno says, and Rude pulls him close. His partner’s skin is soft, and warm… and he can’t help himself as he strokes a broad, gentle hand down Reno’s side, only stopping to squeeze his ass. Just enough to wake him up a little more, not enough to be distracting yet. “Sorry I fell asleep on ya last night…”

“It happens,” Rude says simply, and brushes a stray strand of Reno’s tangled red hair aside to kiss his forehead. It’s in private moments like this, when no one else is around, that his tender, romantic side comes out. Reno knows this, and cherishes it. Of course, he’ll say, _ugh, get a room, loser,_ to anyone else, but when it comes to his partner - sometimes, Rude gets a free pass. They’re in private, for once, they can be _themselves_ around each other. For once they don’t have to worry about keeping up appearances. That’s almost as exhausting as their job itself.

“Besides,” continues Rude, as his thumb runs small circles over Reno’s hip, “we’ve still got a whole day off ahead of us. I’ll go make breakfast. If you want me to take you somewhere, let’s go - anywhere you want, as long as we can make it a day trip.”

“Aw, man, you’re spoilin’ me! I love you so much, yo,” Reno says, and Rude smiles warmly. Reno takes his chance to roll himself on top of his partner and kiss him; their kiss is slow, long, deep, still lingering with a slightly tired heaviness, but it’s the best way to spend the morning.

Any time Reno says _I love you,_ it always makes Rude’s heart beat in quick, embarrassing little flutters at his partner’s confessions. Reno’s got a big mouth on him and he says a _lot_ of things (most of it swearing, naturally) but Rude’s come to learn that most of it is just words and nothing more, it’s all performative. That’s just the role that Reno’s made for himself. Until he’s alone with Rude. With Rude, Reno’s like a blooming flower - opening up to him, ever slowly, into something beautiful as Rude watches him grow. When they’re laying together like this, kissing as the gentle, orange lights of dawn fill their bedroom - Rude feels like the luckiest man in the world.

“I love you too,” Rude says, and from the sparkle in Reno’s eyes, he knows their day off is going to be perfect.


	9. Day Nine: Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reno and Rude end their vacation day at a private beach, going for a swim together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slight continuation of Day Eight's "Day Off" prompt!

“Sorry I kept us out so late,” Reno says as he sets his drink down on the table and glances at Rude. His partner’s lingering on the small first-floor deck of their hotel room, looking out at the ocean. The open glass sliding-door lets in a nice, salty breeze, and it’s so clean it’s refreshing. Their previously-planned “day trip” ended up being a little bit more than that, when they found themselves heading toward the coast, and Rude’s favorite, lesser-known private beach. It was quiet enough, out here, that thinking about going back to the city was nothing more than a distant dream, for now.

“I needed this, y’know,” Rude says, while leaning against the balcony.

“Me too,” Reno agrees, and lays back against the couch to close his eyes and listen to the faint sound of waves outside. “I wish… one day, we could stay out in a place like this. Somewhere quiet. Away from the city.”

“Coming from a city boy like you, that’s a surprise,” Rude muses, and although Reno’s eyes are still closed he listens as Rude steps back inside, closes the door, and nudges Reno’s legs out of the way enough so he can sit down next to his partner on the couch. “But… it would be nice. We’re lucky to be able to spend the night out here, and, it’ll probably be a long while before we can come back.”

“Yeah, you said it. So I’m gonna enjoy this as much as I can. I had a lot of fun today, but… there’s something else we haven’t done yet.”

“Oh?”

“Let’s go swimming,” Reno suggests, sitting up slightly so he can nudge his partner’s arm encouragingly.

Rude pauses before answering. “I didn’t bring anything fit for swimming.”

“This _is_ a private beach, yeah? Let’s just forget the clothes. C’mon, it’ll be fun!”

Well, it would make not having a change of clothes a lot easier… since their mini-vacation had been so sudden, their last-minute plans meant that they’d ended up just going for a drive without too much forethought. Rude’s autopilot driver-senses ended up steering them toward that beach, and they just agreed that it was probably a good idea that they just go along with it. Rude was always the guy who felt more comfortable around water, like the ocean was his home-away-from-home.

“Fuck it, why not? Let’s go.”

Reno practically cheers as he bolts up from the couch, throws his shirt, pants, and boxers off nearly all at once, and drops everything to the floor. It’s astounding how fast he can strip, but, Rude bites back the comment he’s about to make as he starts working the buttons of his shirt loose and slides it off his shoulders easily, letting it fall from his arms onto the couch.

There’s no worry, or even a hint of shame, in Reno’s eyes when he hops over the balcony and dashes off toward the water leaving Rude behind him to catch up.

 _“C’moooooooon, yo! Hurry up!”_ Reno calls, and Rude’s halfway through working his pants off when he answers back,

“I’ll be out in a second, calm down.”

And Rude can’t help but smile as he jumps over the balcony himself, lingering for only a moment to watch Reno running around and dancing on the sand, completely naked without a care in the world. It’s nice to see him that happy.

The weather is pleasant; not cold at all, and the setting sun radiates perfect warmth through the air. The bright rays that fall across the beach only emphasize the red in his partner’s hair as he dashes toward the water and jumps in. When he comes back up, a wave crashes over his shoulders as he raises his hands to call Rude out to join him.

_“You joinin’ me or what?”_

Rude slowly steps away from the balcony, and when his bare feet hit the sand, he smiles. The sand itself is a little bit cold, but soft beneath him. If one thing’s for sure it’s that he’s likely going to be picking sand out of his socks and shoes for weeks after this, but it’s worth it.

Before Reno can say anything else, Rude breaks into a quick sprint and slips into the water next to him. Reno presses up against Rude’s broad back and wraps his arms around his partner’s shoulders, a smile in his voice as he says, “thanks,” and kisses the tip of Rude’s ear.

“Best day ever,” Reno hums, as they drift off a little farther from the shoreline.

“Only because I’m with you,” Rude says, and runs his wet fingers through Reno’s hair so he can kiss his forehead. “Wouldn’t be a real vacation without my partner.”


	10. Day Ten: Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reno challenges Rude to a 'friendly' game of pool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh we're a third of the way through Turkstober already! It's so much fun to see everyone's fics and art and cosplay, I've loved everything I've seen so far!
> 
> (ps: I hope you like Reno with nipple piercings because I finally got a chance to include it in today's oneshot hehehehehehehe)

The two have a bit of time to kill before going back to their apartment after work, and it’s at Reno’s suggestion that they stop at a bar for a bit to unwind. A couple of drinks later, and Reno’s staring at his partner over his glass intermittently between glances toward the pool tables across from them. The bar’s mostly empty right now. It’s at that odd time where it’s too late for the day crowd but too early for the night regulars… so Reno proposes a challenge.

“Play me in a couple rounds of pool, partner? Winner does whatever the loser wants for the rest of the night - that means anything’s on the table.”

“You play?” Rude asks, raising an eyebrow. He’s got his sunglasses propped up on his forehead, since the interior of the bar is a little too dark to keep them on. Maybe it’s the liquor coursing through Reno’s body, but any time he catches Rude without his sunglasses, it sends those little, magical sparks through him like he’s accidentally zapped himself with the low setting on the taser-end of his EMR (which he’s done, surprisingly, and he _might_ be into that, under the right circumstances - ) and he has to remind himself that _staring ain’t cool, yo, calm down._

“‘Course I play!” Reno says, hopping down off his barstool to grab one of the cue sticks off of the storage bar on the wall. “Why, you scared you’ll lose? You don’t wanna be doin’ what I want all night?”

“Don’t I _already_ do that?” Rude counters, inspecting the end of his cue, chalking it up thoroughly before stepping over to the table, staring across the length of it at his partner with a determined fire in his eyes. “You’re on, pretty boy.”

“Ooh, insults early? Winnin’ against you’s gonna be _real_ fun.” Reno grins widely, digging his hands into each of the pockets to place the balls on the table so he can set Rude up to break. “You break first, I wanna see what I’m up against.”

And Rude’s good, he can certainly hold his own. Reno watches as Rude sends the cue ball speeding down the table with a _crack_ loud enough to turn a couple of heads. Rude sinks two balls into the far corner pockets and steps back with a satisfied smile. “Alright. I’m stripes, then. Your turn.”

Reno sinks two more in his counterattack. The way Rude’s watching him down the table, it’s just _too_ distracting, he’s got to be cheating, with the looks he’s giving Reno. He knows it gets Reno worked up. The most infuriating thing, it’s in the way Rude does it - that so-subtle, quick twitch of an eyebrow that only Reno recognizes the meaning behind - it’s enough to get him squirming against the table as his hips dig against the wood while he leans over trying to angle his next shot. He misses, _bigtime,_ and Rude smirks.

“My turn.”

With a lucky shot, Rude gets three in. Reno’s sure to complain about it as he chalks the end of his cue and catches his partner giving him _that look_ again. In the low light from the bar, Reno can just barely catch a blooming flush in his cheeks… it’s more than likely because of the alcohol, but it’s almost fun to get him this excited in public. They’re playing two games at once now. Each with their own rules, their own consequences.

“What, you got a problem?” Reno asks, as he sneaks one of his buttons on his already half-unbuttoned shirt loose enough so that when he leans down to line up his next shot, Rude can see _everything._ Reno doesn’t have to look to know Rude can see the faint glint of light off of the smooth, silver metal bars of his piercings, because Rude nearly doubles over and braces a hand against the table to steady himself. It’s the first time he’s let Rude see them, after sneaking off one night to get his nipples pierced as a fun little surprise.

“You - Reno - when did you - ”

Rude can barely speak as he slips his sunglasses down over his face to hide the absolute surprise, shock, _arousal?_ in his eyes.

“Mm, a while ago~” Reno hums, more than amused as he takes his turn. Right now, he’s in the lead, and if he can keep Rude this distracted, he’ll win in no time. _You play dirty, I’ll throw it back,_ Reno laughs to himself as he watches Rude struggle. Reno slyly slips the edge of his shirt down over his shoulder when he shrugs his jacket off, which exposes his chest enough to make Rude miss his next shot as Reno tosses his jacket back toward his chair. Because of that he sinks the cue ball instead of his originally intended target.

“Dammit,” Rude mutters under his breath, shooting a glare over the table at Reno, who blinks at him innocently, teasingly.

“Hm, what’s wrong?”

Rude steps back to their table next to Reno, takes a long drink from his glass, and backs Reno up against the nearest wall, easily pinning the redhead’s arms over his head. Reno glances around, and they’re lucky that no one’s paying any attention anymore. He passes Rude a quick little smirk but Rude is ready for it, easily pressing his weight against Reno’s smaller body before leaning over and hissing into his ear,

_“You’re lucky we’re in public, that there’s people here; if we were alone, I’d be fucking you over that table right now.”_

“I’d like that, y’know,” Reno whispers, but quickly stops Rude from _actually_ going for it by leaning up toward him for a very bite-heavy kiss. “But later, yo. We still gotta find out who wins, don’t we~? Don’t celebrate just yet.”

One of Rude’s gloved hands slowly inches downward to slip, just slightly, into Reno’s open shirt and he flicks the piercing experimentally with a finger, making Reno shudder. It feels good, _really_ good, and Reno has to swallow a moan before pushing his partner off of him and back toward the table where their game still waited, where their fates for the night hung in the balance, the winner yet to be decided…

“My turn, partner,” Reno says, “The _real_ game starts now.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3
> 
> If you wanna keep up with me, you can find me on twitter as [duskynebula](https://twitter.com/duskynebula) \- of course as always, I do share NSFW at random sometimes so you've been warned! :3


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